Minnesota Twins: Bullpen Getting Job Done

This year has been surprising for Minnesota in many ways. Most of the major-market experts predicted the Twins to have a rebuilding year in 2008 and not compete at the high level the rest of the AL Central is at.

If you fast-forward to July, you'll find that not only is Minnesota competing, but Minnesota is winning, and a majority of the AL Central has significant problems.

Twins fans also expected another stellar year from a spectacular bullpen. This bullpen hasn't lived up to expectations, but they have gotten done what has needed to get done.

As Nick Nelson says of the bullpen, "They haven't been as good as in past years, but still get the job done for the most part."

That perfectly sums up the state of the Twins' bullpen this year. Joe Nathan has been his usual dominating self, and some of the relief staff are doing just fine. But others leave something to be desired.

Pat Neshek obviously plays a huge part in this lack of production. He only had the opportunity to pitch 13-1/3 innings before his injury. He had an ERA of 4.73 and a WHIP of 1.200 posted through that stretch. I'm sure those numbers would have gone down had he not been injured.

Neshek plays a huge role for this organization when he is healthy. (Neshek is also key in 'Tiger-slaying'. While it seems that only Nathan can get Detroit batters out this year, Neshek posted a 1.73 ERA against Detroit in 2007.)

Neshek's set-up role is very important because he seems to be the only one capable of actually doing it.

With Neshek gone, Jesse Crain was faced with the task of setting up Nathan on June 30 against, coincidentally, the Tigers. It didn't go well, as Crain failed to get a runner out. Actually, he only threw seven pitches, two for strikes. He gave up one run on one hit and walked another before he was eventually pulled from the game.

Crain has always puzzled me.

I started to like him before the 2006 season, when he had put up two full years of solid success. In 2007 though, Crain fell apart. After posting an ERA of 2.71 in 2005 and 3.52 in 2006, he recorded an earned run average of 5.51 in 2007. Part of this may be due to a tear in his rotator cuff, which was apparently hurting him for some time.

This year, through 33 games, Crain has an ERA of 3.90 and a WHIP of 1.427. His K/9IP is also sitting pretty at around seven.

On that same June 30 game against Detroit, Matt Guerrier was asked to pitch after Crain gave up a run. He pitched well in the seventh, but fell to pieces in the eight. He allowed two runs on three hits and eventually cost Minnesota the game.

Guerrier has had mixed success this season. Through 39 games he has recorded a certainly respectable ERA of 3.27. He also has a WHIP of 1.432. He has a 4-3 record, but has blown a few games.

Dennys Reyes has been stellar this year for the Twins. Only once has he given up more than one run. That game, again against the Tigers, was held on May 23.

Reyes came on in the seventh and failed to record an out. He gave up three runs on three hits and watched as his ERA blossomed to 3.55. Since then, however, he has only given up one earned run and his ERA is back down to 2.25.

Reyes isn't what you would call a strikeout pitcher. His K/9IP is only 4.5. Still, while he may not be an innings-eater, Reyes continues to get the job done.  A newcomer to this bullpen is Craig Breslow. After spending just five days as a Cleveland Indian, Breslow was claimed off waivers the same day Neshek was gingerly placed on the 60-day DL.

In his eleven games with the Twins, Breslow has yet to surrender a run. In his small sample size, Breslow has an impressive 9.25 K/9IP. We haven't seen much of this 27-year old, but I'm sure good things will come from him in his future as a Twin.

That brings us to Joe Nathan. This All-Star caliber closer continues to impress me. Not only does he have a spectacular ERA of 1.30 in 34.7 innings pitched, but he has a 9.85 K/9IP. Nathan has 23 saves so far this year, which is fourth in Major League Baseball. Obviously, that number would be way higher if Minnesota weren't winning games by as much as they are.

That last sentence is one of the two reasons Minnesota finds itself only two games behind the Chicago White Sox at the midway point in the 2008 campaign. The other reason is pitching.

It goes without saying that the starting pitching of the Twins has been awesome recently, but the bullpen is also getting the job done, and receiving less credit than usual.